Katie Gallagher

A young RISD grad with audible buzz, Katie Gallagher debuted her line at New York Fashion Week with her Spring 2010 collection; before that, one of the designer's school projects—a dress made from Plexiglas springs—reportedly came to the attention of Lady Gaga and Daphne Guinness before Gallagher even graduated. Since then Gallagher has maintained a consistent point of view. Goth, body-con, and futuristic are all applicable labels, and Spring's collection was a continuation of those themes. Peplums, graphic cutouts, and architectural seaming called attention to the body's swoops and curves, while a few pieces of sexy swimwear—a new addition for Gallagher—were cut high on the thigh and slit wide at the waist. Gallagher makes a point of using natural fibers like silk, lambskin, and kangaroo leather (a first for her this season) whenever possible, but there was an unappealingly unfinished quality to some of these pieces that made the fabrics look less special than they were. Chalk that up to the high price of producing polished samples and the designer's business still being nascent. If the press of fans at her presentation is anything to go by, people will be happy to wait while Gallagher clears those sorts of hurdles. For now, she would do well to focus on what sets her aesthetic apart from the other darkly romantic designers hoping to score a Gaga or Guinness.